In the King's Name Part 7

They were lightning like, these thoughts, for it really was but a question of very few moments before there was a flash, a hissing noise, a bright light, and then it was as though they had all been struck a violent blow with something exceedingly soft and elastic, and at the same moment there was a dull heavy roar.

Simultaneously the lower deck was filled with the foul dank choking fumes of exploded gunpowder, the thick smoke was blinding, and the men crouched in their places for the moment forgetful of their orders till they heard the voice of Hilary Leigh shouting to them to come on, and they leaped to their feet and followed.

It was a case of blindman's-buff; but the quarters below were narrow, and after a little blundering the two men who had charge of the ladder forced aside some of the heap of chests, hammocks and planks, placed the steps in position, and, sword in one hand, pistol in the other, the young officer sprang up. The gunner followed, and in less than a minute the whole crew were over the shattered coamings of the hatchway and on deck, ready to encounter the enemy.

The change from the stifling fumes below to the soft night-air was delightful, and the men leaped along the deck after their young leader, their cutla.s.ses flashing in the faint light cast by the lanterns swung aloft and astern; but no enemy was to be seen.

They dashed aft right to the taffrail, and back along the starboard side, and away to the bowsprit; but the deck was without an enemy.

"Why, they're gone!" cried Hilary, in astonishment, as he now realised the meaning of the silence over his head when he was awaiting the explosion. "Here, hi! Waters, Brown, what does this mean? Quick! go to the helm, Brown!" he shouted; "we're going through the water at an awful pace. Quick! quick! down--down hard!" he roared. But it was too late; the wheel was lashed, and before the slightest effort could be made to check the cutter's way, she glided, with heavy sail set, over half a dozen long rollers, and then seemed to leap upon the beach, which she struck with so heavy a thud that the little vessel shuddered from stem to stern, and pretty well the whole crew were thrown upon the deck.

The causes of the enemy forsaking the cutter were plain enough now.

They did not want her, and if they did it would have been without the crew, who would have been a cause of risk and trouble to them. If they could put her _hors de combat_ it would do just as well, and to this end all the sail had been hoisted and sheeted home, the wheel lashed, and with the unfortunate cutter running dead for the beach the party who had seized her had quietly gone over the side while Hilary and his men were plotting their destruction, and knowing full well they had nothing to fear till next tide floated her off--if ever she floated again--they proceeded to carry out their plans.

The men struggled to their feet once more as the great sail flapped, while a wave that seemed bent on chasing them struck below the cutter's taffrail, and the spray leaped on board.

Fortunately for them it was calm and the tide fast falling, or the gallant little _Kestrel_ would have flown her last flight. As it was, it was open to doubt whether she would ever spread her long wings again to skim the sea, for the rising tide might bring with it a gale, and before she could be got off her timbers might be torn into matchwood.

It was a rapid change from danger to danger. But a few minutes back they risked sinking the vessel by the explosion of gunpowder, believing her to be in the hands of the enemy who had cleverly compa.s.sed her defeat, and now they were cast ash.o.r.e.

Hilary Leigh was seaman enough, however, to know what to do without consulting the boatswain, and giving his orders rapidly he stopped the heeling over and beating of the _Kestrel_ upon the sand by relieving her of her sail, in the midst of which he was startled by the voice of Mr Lips...o...b...

"Good heavens, Mr Leigh!" he exclaimed, angrily, "what does this mean?

I go and lie down for a few minutes, leaving you in charge of the cutter, and I come up and find her ash.o.r.e. Brown, Waters! where are you, men? Have you been mad, asleep, or drunk? Oh, my head! Good gracious, why, what's this--blood?"

He staggered, and seemed about to fall, but Hilary caught his arm.

"I am glad to see you better, sir," he cried; "but had you not better lie down?"

"Better?" he said--"better?"

"Yes, sir; don't you remember?"

"Remember? Remember?" he said, staring.

"Yes, sir, the smugglers; they knocked us down and took possession of the ship."

"Yes, of course, yes," said the lieutenant eagerly. "I remember now.

Of course, yes, Leigh. But--but where are they now?"

"That's just what I should like to know, sir," said Leigh, sharply; "we've got rid of them, but they ran the little _Kestrel_ ash.o.r.e."

CHAPTER SIX.

EXPLORING.

Fortunately for the little _Kestrel_ the morning breeze was soft and the sea as smooth as a mirror, and all the crew had to do was to await the tide to float them off from where they were lying high and dry, with the keel driven so deeply in the sand that the cutter hardly needed a support, and the opportunity served for examining the bottom to see if any injury had been sustained.

Lieutenant Lips...o...b.. appeared with a broad bandage round his head, for his head had been severely cut in his fall, and the pain he suffered did not improve his already sore temper.

For though he said nothing, Hilary Leigh could see plainly enough that his officer was bitterly annoyed at having been mastered in cunning and so nearly losing his ship. He knew that to go into port to repair damages meant so close an investigation that the result might be the loss of his command. So, after an examination of the injuries, which showed that the whole of the coamings of the hatchway were blown off and the deck terribly blackened with powder, the carpenter and his mate were set to work to cut out and piece in as busily as possible.

"Nothing to go into port for, Leigh, nothing at all. The men will soon put that right; but it was very badly managed, Leigh, very. Half that quant.i.ty of powder would have done; the rest was all waste. Hang it all! what could you have been thinking about? Here am I disabled for a few minutes, and you let a parcel of scoundrels seize the cutter and run her ash.o.r.e, and then, with the idea of retaking her, you go and blow up half the deck! My good fellow, you will never make a decent officer if you go on like this."

"Well, that's grateful, certainly," thought Hilary; and the desire came upon him strongly to burst out into a hearty laugh, but he suppressed it and said quietly:

"Very sorry, sir; I tried to do all for the best."

"Yes; that's what every weak-headed noodle says when he has made a blunder. Well, Leigh, it is fortunate for you that I was sufficiently recovered to resume the command; but of all the pickles which one of his majesty's ships could be got into, this is about the worst. Here we are as helpless as a turned turtle on a Florida sandspit."

"Well, sir, not quite," replied Hilary smiling; "we've got our guns, and the crew would give good account of--"

"Silence, sir! This is no laughing matter," cried the lieutenant angrily. "It may seem very droll to you, but if I embody your conduct of the past night in a despatch your chance of promotion is gone for ever."

Hilary stared, but he had common sense enough to say nothing, while the lieutenant took a turn up and down the deck, which would have been a very pleasant promenade for a cripple with one leg shorter than the other; but as the cutter was a good deal heeled over, it was so unpleasant for Lieutenant Lips...o...b.., already suffering from giddiness, the result of his wound, that he stopped short and stood holding on by a stay.

"Most extraordinary thing," he said; "my head is always perfectly clear in the roughest seas, but ash.o.r.e I turn as giddy as can be. But there; don't stand staring about, Leigh. Take half-a-dozen men and make a bit of search up and down the coast. See if you can find any traces of the smuggling party. If you had had any thought in you such a thing might have been proposed at daybreak. It will be hours before we float."

"Yes, sir, certainly," exclaimed Leigh, rather excitedly, for he was delighted with the idea. "Shall I arm the men, sir?"

"Arm the men, sir! Oh, no: of course not. Let every man carry a swab, and a spoon stuck in his belt. Goodness me, Mr Leigh, where are your brains? You are going to track out a parcel of desperadoes, and you ask me if you shall take the men armed."

"Very sorry, sir," said Hilary. "I'll try and do better. You see I am so sadly wanting in experience."

The lieutenant looked at him sharply, but Hilary's face was as calm and unruffled as the sea behind him, and not finding any chance for a reprimand, the lieutenant merely made a sign to him to go, walking forward himself to hurry on the carpenter, and then repa.s.sing Hilary and going below to his cabin.

"Skipper's got his legs acrost this mornin', sir," said Billy Waters, touching his hat. "Hope you'll take me with you, sir."

"I should like to have you, Waters, and Tom Tully. By the way, how is he this morning? He got hurt."

"Oh, he's all right, sir," said the gunner grinning. "He got a knock, sir, but he didn't get hurt. Nothin' hurts old Tom. I don't believe he's got any feeling in him at all."

"Now, if I propose to take them," thought Hilary, "Lips...o...b.. will say they sha'n't go. Here he comes, though. I shall catch it for not being off."

He made a run and dropped down through the damaged hatchway, alighting amidst the carpenter's tools on the lower deck, ran aft to his cabin, obtained sword and pistols, and then mounted to the deck to find the lieutenant angrily addressing Waters and Tully.

For no sooner had Hilary disappeared, and the gunner made out that the chief officer was coming on deck, than he turned his back, busied himself about the breeching of one of the guns, and shouting to Tom Tully:

"Going to send you ash.o.r.e, matey?"

"No," growled Tully; "what's on?"

"Oh! some wild-goose hunt o' the skipper's. I don't mean to go, and don't you if you can help it. There won't be a place to get a drop o'

grog. All searching among the rocks."

"Gunner!"